Perhaps the most significant and disappointing theme that has run through not only my decades in politics, but my years afterward as a pollster and analyst, has been the GOP's increasing tendency to shy away from anyone or anything that is bold or unique. I've watched that play out once again this year, as the same old suspects have struggled with how to use, or not use, Donald Trump.

In fact, most candidates that have actually captured the White House, post-Nixon, did so by taking incredible risks in order to shake things up. Ronald Reagan used his unflappable determination and humor to defeat Jimmy Carter. More obvious was the move by the George H.W. Bush team of 1988 to run the controversial Willie Horton ad to reverse a Mike Dukakis post convention lead and win the presidency.

It took the emergence of a larger-than-life Ross Perot just four years later to split the moderate and conservative vote, giving Bill Clinton a win over Bush. Clinton's re-election bid was guaranteed by an early set of ads linking Bob Dole to a then-unpopular Newt.

In fact, had the "Swift Boat" team not arisen in 2004, John Kerry might have provided George W. Bush a real challenge. But playing it safe has generally netted the GOP a big fat zero on the presidential win scorecard.

Enter Donald Trump. Oh, I can already hear the generations of Washington hack pollsters and consultants whose endless fees land at the corner of Safe and Boring streets. They think of him as too brash, too much about himself, too over the top ... not one of them. And that is exactly why I propose that the otherwise dead-in-the-water Romney campaign play that "Trump Card."

To be fair, they jabbed at it, with an amusing bit in which Trump played his "Apprentice" role to a barely visible Obama character, raising issue after issue and finally telling President Obama, "You're fired." It was a funny piece. But at a GOP convention where anything daring was shoved to the early hours or, in the case of the Trump video, shoved aside due to the infamous non-hurricane, it had no hope of having any impact. In fact, it is just now making its way into the media world.

What the Romney campaign needs is a series of game changing ads that can pierce through the clutter of boring typical GOP ads and get the attention of an electorate that is swiftly starting to actually believe that the economy is getting better and that President Obama has handled foreign policy well. Why not let Trump set everyone straight?

Oh, I know -- "He's too pushy ... too controversial ... too flamboyant." Oh, yes, I can hear the multitude of used-up GOP political hacks dismissing the idea in unison. But hold on: It's Trump who has years of experience with a successful television show geared toward the average bear who watches network television. The man not only is bright as can be and obviously more knowledgeable about politics than most entrepreneurs, he also knows how to sell virtually anything to anyone.

And the wealthy Trump can connect with those so-called Reagan Democrats (now more like Reagan independents), who just can't stomach the to-the-manor-born style of the wealthy Romney. They like the more rough-and-tumble, "say it as he sees it" Trump.

I'm sure I could poll this idea and find some result to justify going in a safer direction. But sometimes even pollsters who are ex-politicians know that the gut can be stronger than any survey's "margin of error."

It is obvious that someone has to capture the public's attention and give the reasons to fire President Obama. Why not give that job, with a little dose of humor added, to a man who knows how to do it.

Roll the dice, and let Trump save this sinking disaster of a campaign. Based on what I am seeing, the Romney campaign has nothing to lose ... absolutely nothing.

I have plans tomorrow night but will record the one hour special with The Donald and Hannity tomorrow night. Hoping for some good zingers from Trump. Hope they are so good they get air time on other shows via clips.

3
posted on 09/20/2012 5:59:42 AM PDT
by Qwackertoo
(Romney/Ryan 2012 The Future of Our Children and Their Children are at stake.)

And that is exactly why I propose that the otherwise dead-in-the-water Romney campaign play that "Trump Card."

Personally I despise Trump, but if he'll inject some fire into Romney's campaign, things might start to turn around. Romney is much more comfortable with safe, low-risk stuff, but he's going to have to start throwing the long ball soon.

“...GOP’s increasing tendency to shy away from anyone or anything that is bold or unique.”

There is NO time for those kinds of niceties right now.

The situation is TOO urgent and critical.

If they want to ‘make nice’, the GOP can wait until after the election...then once in the WH, they can begin their traditionally flawed and damaging ‘compassionate’ governance and ‘bipartisan’ outreach to the opposition. But NOT NOW, please!!!

In the mean time, we need real, cold, hard logic and straight talk. The GOP can leave the florid pontificating and theatrical posturing for the Liberals, who do it so well(because it’s all they do)!

7
posted on 09/20/2012 6:04:53 AM PDT
by SMARTY
("The man who has no inner-life is a slave to his surroundings. "Henri Frederic Amiel)

I don't think Romney is behind. The GOP will start their real advertising over the last four weeks, like they always do, believing that the candidate who has momentum late is more likely to win (McCain and Dole were too unlovable and fell too far behind for this tactic to work.)

Obama still has the harder problems to solve, even if the MSM polls today show him with a lead. Romney has to pick one consistent theme for the debates (I say it should be the "real" unemployment rate) and just beat Obama into the ground with it. By late October, even the MSM will have Romney up five points.

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